Freedom of Forgiveness
by Veronica Barton
Summary: The alternate universe where Sydney called Vaughn after her drive into the ocean
1. Default Chapter

1 "Freedom of Forgiveness"  
  
  
  
Okay this is the deal, I had this idea, problem is I'm not from California. So I had two options, one- I could do extensive research, two- I could make it all up, in true fan FICTION fashion!!! Being a stressed college student, I chose option #2, the places and faces will all come out of my imagination, so hold on to your hats here we go…  
  
  
  
Disclaimer: don't own ALIAS, but if JJ wanted to will it to me, I'd take it! Oh and I don't own Disney's song "Part of Your World", it's just one of those tunes that pops in my head every once in awhile, you know like "Tomorrow"  
  
  
  
[Thoughts are in brackets, sorry I haven't figured out how to get the "Italics" to transfer over]  
  
  
  
Scene 1  
  
  
  
["I don't know when, I don't know how,  
  
But I know one thing starting right now,  
  
One day you'll see, Some day I'll be  
  
Part of… a normal, safe, boring, brownie baking,  
  
homemaking, literature teaching, non-life threatening,  
  
anti-slutty disguise wearing, no more lying WORLD!!!"  
  
Hmm, I should become a songwriter. But first I'd better get on dry land before I DO turn into a mermaid!]  
  
While deflating the tires of the car/submarine, Sydney had watched the color of the sky change from orange to black through the broken screen of the ocean's surface. Her train of thought had come full circle, starting with the serious and ending in the bazaar. It was definitely time to get back on dry land, not only had her skin pruned but she thought her mind had started to do the same.  
  
When she reached the surface she instinctively gasped for air.  
  
[Ahh the sweet smell of pollution!]  
  
She swam under the pier, hiding beneath the planks for protection, to listen to see if it was safe to get out. Except for the waves slapping on the dock and the distant city sounds, the coast seemed clear.  
  
Finding a ladder that led to the deck she began to climb, which was a harder task than she expected, her arms felt like Jello. Through sheer will and determination she slithered onto the solid structure. Laying on her back starring at the stars she tried to regain her senses and determine her next course of action.  
  
[Come on Syd, think, this is what you get paid to do!]  
  
The water had turned her mind to mush. She heard a bell ringing on a nearby ship.  
  
[Call someone! But who? I know a million numbers, come on Syd, think of one, just one!]  
  
And she did; the one she called in all of her crisis situations. She rolled over and pushed herself up. Quickly scanning the surrounding area, she noticed a glowing phone booth not too far off.  
  
She was a woman on a mission [Make it to the phone or die!]  
  
She had muttered this declaration out loud, that's when she noticed her teeth were chattering, [February, great month to drive your car in the ocean and swim around for awhile! What a way to go, I can see it now "International Double Agent Dies of Hypothermia!"]  
  
She was halfway to heaven when she noticed a Red Cross crate to her left, finding a crow bar nearby she opened the lid and found a blanket. It didn't provide much warmth but it did shield the wind from her soaked body.  
  
With a renewed pride in her survival skills she turned to finish her journey to the phone booth, [only five more steps, 4, 3, 2, 1…Score! I'd just like to thank all the little people who made this possible…okay focus, fingers, dial, come on Syd make us proud!]  
  
Not having any money, she used a little trick Marshall had taught her to get a dial tone. Then that voice, that heavenly voice, she was brief "I'm…alive…wet…cold…pier… help…"  
  
Within 10 minutes her Knight in Denim Jeans arrived. He scooped her up and placed her shivering body in the back seat. She was safe, cold, but safe and soon drifted of to sleep to the hum of the car, the sound of passing cars, and the quite piece of being in the presence of her guardian angel.  
  
TBC 


	2. Scene 2

1 "Freedom of Forgiveness"  
  
  
  
CORRECTION: In scene one I put that she had driven her car into the ocean in the middle of February, I meant March, just test'n ya! Oh and it might not have BEEN in March, but for my story it was, OKAY??? OK!!!  
  
  
  
Disclaimer: don't own ALIAS, but if JJ wanted to will it to me, I'd take it!  
  
  
  
[Thoughts are in brackets, sorry I haven't figured out how to get the "Italics" to transfer over]  
  
  
  
  
  
Scene 2  
  
  
  
…Darkness, wetness, chaos, and furry; Sydney sat clutching onto the sides of the tiny lifeboat named "Guardian Angel". Blinded by the stinging, salty, seawater that now was choking her, as it slapped her in the face. Just when she'd recover from one blow, and had a chance to catch her breath, it would hit her again.  
  
The worst part was that she couldn't see it, it was faceless, formless, and she could never tell where it was coming from, but it always came, to knock the breath out of her, threatening her life, her sanity. She tried to fight it, to push it away, to scoop the water out of the small boat that was slowly going down. She cried out for help, but the storm was so loud that even SHE couldn't hear her own screams.  
  
She was sure she was crying, but even her own tears betrayed her, as they joined the other salty soldiers trying to destroy her. They were winning. The fight began to leave her, her arms lost their strength, and she lost the will to fight. She laid down in the lifeboat, allowing the water to overtake them both, the boat seemed just as willing, and loyal, not leaving her to drown alone. The captain was going down with the ship, or was it the other way around? She didn't know; she surrendered to the storm allowing it to rage around her, she drifted of to sleep, praying she'd die while unconscious...  
  
Peacefulness. Golden warmth, she could feel it on her skin, and like tiny fingers, it was trying to pry her eyes open, but she didn't want to wake. [It's a dream; I don't want to return to the land of the living, the land of the killing.] Softness, the blankets had dried. Stillness, the storm had stopped. Her lifeboat had found land; it had saved her from drowning!  
  
Sounds, no more screams, sweet sounds. The wind was whispering, it was calling her, someone was calling her…  
  
  
  
"Sydney…"  
  
Her eyes fluttered open, looking towards the light where a figure stood in front of it, rays seemed to be shooting out from, well, whoever it was. Who was it? Those eyes, she knew those eyes. She began to smile but stopped short. The eyes had a face, and a halo of shoulder length, blonde hair.  
  
[Is she an angel? Have I died?]  
  
She tried to get control of her disoriented senses, when her eyes adjusted she realized that the person sitting next to her definitely wasn't Vaughn. With a burst of energy she tried to sit up, but found it a bit of a struggle, her arm still felt like Jello. The woman moved to help her. Once settled against the headboard Sydney sat shocked, to stunned to speak the thoughts that were filling her head. [Who are you and why do you have Michael's eyes, it you've harmed him, I swear…]  
  
"Well good AFTERNOON Sleeping Beauty!"  
  
Sugary sweetness, genuine goodness, something completely new to Sydney. She wasn't sure if she was supposed to be angry and alert or warm and welcoming. Something about this woman made her think it was the later, but the International Double Agent in her said to be guarded, so she responded with a half smile and a nervous look around the room.  
  
"Oh I'm sorry sweety, I'm Michelle Vaughn… Michael's mother." 


	3. Scene 3

1 "Freedom of Forgiveness"  
  
  
  
Disclaimer: don't own ALIAS, but if JJ wanted to will it to me, I'd take it!  
  
  
  
[Thoughts are in brackets, sorry I haven't figured out how to get the "Italics" to transfer over]  
  
  
  
"Oh I'm sorry sweety, I'm Michelle Vaughn… Michael's mother."  
  
  
  
SCENE 3  
  
[Brain freeze… Michael?…MY Michael? Michael's MOTHER!?! Wait a minute, Michael? No, Vaughn… VAUGHN's mother!!! Widow of the man MY mother killed… panic… what do I do? What do I say? Who should I be?… calm, Syd, be calm…and SWEET… that's it, be Sweet Sydney… 1,2,3, and action!]  
  
Sydney's eyes were practically popping out of her head. She recovered from her shock by tucking her hair behind her ear, and slapping on that innocent, college girl smile, dimples and all. "Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't know…"  
  
"No reason to be sorry…"  
  
[Yeah, no reason, well except for the fact that MY MOTHER KILLED YOUR HUSBAND!!!]  
  
"Of course you didn't know, don't give it a second thought." There was a slight sadness in the sweetness of her voice, an understanding. Sydney felt like she was actually talking to Vaughn, rather than to his mother.  
  
[Hmm, don't give WHAT a second thought?]  
  
"Anyway, I didn't to wake you, but you've slept the day away, which is completely understandable, I just didn't want you to starve to death, Mikey would never forgive me!"  
  
[Mikey!?!]  
  
"So I brought you up a tray," Sydney looked in awe at the feast awaiting her on the tray Michelle set on the table next to her: quiche, sliced melons, sliced homemade bread, some sort of pastry, ice water, a tea pot of steaming liquid, several different flavors of tea! [is she Michelle, or Martha?]  
  
"And right through that door," Sydney looked in the direction her host was pointing, "is a bathroom, there's all sort's of soaps and salts so feel free to just soak as long as you want, and I know you must be completely exhausted so just go right back to bed, and we can get better acquainted tomorrow, you know, make sure you see all of Mikey's most embarrassing pictures and such!"  
  
By the end of the speech Sydney was smiling from ear to ear [I gave Vaughn far too much credit, SHE is the original Guardian Angel; a feast, a bath, and black mail pictures of my boss, what more could a girl ask for!?!]  
  
"I'm speechless Mrs.Vaughn…"  
  
"Oh, call me Michelle please! I can't have my son's favorite co-worker, thinking I'm a snob!"  
  
[His favorite co-worker? She knows what I do, how MUCH does she know? Should I play dumb? Well at least be polite Syd, she COULD be your future mother-in… whoa! Where'd that come from…just be nice, okay? OK!]  
  
"Michelle… thank you… for the food… the bath… I… I'm not exactly sure what's going on, but thank you…"  
  
"OH! I almost forgot," Michelle reached into her pocket and handed Sydney a folded piece of paper, "Michael left this for you. Well, I'll let you rest now, holler if I can get you anything." She had almost shut the door, when she popped her head back in to add, "Oh and I put some of Melonie's clothes out for you, I think you're about the same size. If you leave yours out where I can get to them I'll make sure they get washed, well good night…"  
  
Sydney had sat stunned, and a bit confused, realizing she hadn't said much, she spoke up. "Michelle!?! What day is it?"  
  
"Friday," Michelle opened the door a bit more, and leaned on the doorframe. "Sydney, I know you must be overwhelmed, and confused, but don't worry, you're safe here, just relax and make yourself at home, I'll see you in the morning."  
  
She had the same effect on Sydney as Michael did, she realized that in reality she probably was far from safe, but her heart told her she was, safe and cared for. And something else, something she couldn't place, something she's never felt before, something so foreign that she couldn't even describe it.  
  
"Thanks again"  
  
"Anytime Sydney, Goodnight," with a reassuring smile, she shut the door.  
  
Sydney sat staring, at nothing. [So that's what a mother is like…] Emily was the closest thing she ever had to a mother, which wasn't saying much. [Don't think right now Sydney, you're too exhausted to do it correctly, food, you need food] As she moved to get up she remembered the piece of paper in her hands. She opened it up, smiling at the familiar handwriting.  
  
S-  
  
Sorry to leave you here, went back to sort things out.  
  
You're at my mother's B&B, on Lake Tahoe  
  
You'll be safe here, relax and enjoy yourself. I'll be in touch  
  
-V  
  
Syd smiled as she looked at the tray of food, and thought of the angel who had delivered it, "Enjoy myself…don't worry MIKEY, I definitely will!"  
  
  
  
TBC 


End file.
